Blake Morgan’s Wales office celebrated the firm’s 150th anniversary at its recent Summer Social event hosted at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
The law firm welcomed more than 300 guests to the event that has become a highlight on the Blake Morgan calendar as it celebrated 150 years since establishing in 1875 in Pontypridd, south Wales.
Opening the event, Eve Piffaretti, Head of Office Wales, said:
“We are incredibly proud of our roots and legacy here in Wales, acting on behalf of clients across this great nation as well as being part of some of Wales’ biggest projects.”
Clients, partners, contacts and colleagues came together to celebrate the firm’s achievements from the past 12 months, including award wins and new contracts – as well as the relationships and added social value delivered across Wales and beyond
During the celebrations, Eve Piffaretti reflected on 150 years of the firm, Charlotte Whitehead (partner) highlighted successes from the past year and Tomos Lewis (partner) shared the firm’s vision for the future.
The past
Blake Morgan’s roots can be traced back to a century and a half ago, the firm now known as Blake Morgan was born in Wales when Walter Morgan and Rhys was formed in 1875 in Pontypridd.
Later Sir Gerald Bruce joined – he was chairman of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Trading Estates Ltd not-for-profit entity – a movement that was at the forefront and led south Wales’ economic recovery following the decline of the coal and steel culture and the recession in the 1930s. He was also one of the original trustees who founded Whitchurch Hospital in Cardiff.
Third of the original trio was Walter Nicholas who was honoured by Lloyd George in recognition of his services to local authority administration. He played a central role in the development of workers’ compensation and people would refer to him as the ‘King of the Rhondda’.
The present
Blake Morgan is proud to be continuing the founding partners’ work in supporting the public sector. This year, the firm has been appointed to all 14 lots of the Welsh Government Commercial Delivery (WGCD) Solicitors Services Framework – the only law firm to achieve this distinction. The WGCD framework plays a vital role in enabling the Welsh Government and public sector bodies to procure expert legal services efficiently.
Blake Morgan’s appointment ensures continued access to high-quality legal support across critical areas, including employment law, education law, planning and environmental law, IT and commercial contracts, procurement, projects and public administration law.
Charlotte also highlight the numerous awards won by the firm this year, including: Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Insider Dealmaker Awards; Legal Advisor of the Year at the Entreconf Awards; Property Law Firm of the Year for the third year running; Employer of the Year at the Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) Apprenticeship Awards; and Eve Piffaretti won the Leadership Award at the Legal News Wales Awards.
The future
Helpu twf Cymru fel cenedl hyderus, deg a chystadleuol. Helping Wales’ growth as a confident, fair and competitive nation.
The motto above is what is displayed in Blake Morgan’s Cardiff office. ‘It’s what the firm has done for the first 150 years in Wales, and it’s what it is aiming to carry on doing for the next 150 years’ said Tomos, explaining that put simply, Blake Morgan will continue to play its part in forging a bright future for Wales and helping clients across all sectors to do the same.
Social value
The Summer Social was also an opportunity to demonstrate the firm’s commitment to social value. They were delighted to welcome the winner of the Cardiff office’s logo competition from one of their nominated schools, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau, through their partnership with 2B Enterprising. The winner was joined by her family and teacher, with her artwork proudly displayed around the venue.
Commenting on the evening, Business Development Manager in Wales, Gemma Barnett said:
“As a firm, we are incredibly proud of our Welsh roots, and events like this give us the chance to celebrate the people, partnerships and communities that make Wales such a special place to work and grow.
“The momentum we’ve built is just the beginning and we are all tremendously excited about the future.”
The winning logo from the Blake Morgan Schools Competition can be found in the image slider below.
